Society
Pairings are state-mandated. ** Not considered a legal unit unless Pairing * Unpaired peoples = Shade * Formal title for magic users = Kizier (from caesar) ** What if they're not just considered a legal unit but the the "sorceress" is legally unable to make decisions because they're "unstable" ** Occasionally Kiziers can keep the magical households for their widowed Tharii and or siblings, or whatever. *** somebody who doesn't have a knight would have good reasons to consider faking it. * Formal title for fighters = Tharii (from spatharios) * Pairing events happen with the solstice * Each Wave has depreciating returns ** Wave One: Age 16 - 18 ** Wave Two: Age 32 - 35 ** Wave Three: Age 64 - 70 * Tharii/Kizier is considered the standard dynamic and couples do go against it but it's kind of risqué * long, elaborate Season of introductions ** Like Regency courtships / Old South coming of Age Parties ** Huge Dance elements in courtship ** Huge coming of age events if you become Paired you are legally an adult * Having lovers outside of Pairings are common ** One person can love their partner and not be loved back ** They can loathe each other ** They can think each other is "meh" ** Any combo works ** You could have the incredibly sappy Pairs and then the ones that can barely stand being in the same room unless they're fighting a common enemy. * You communicate with your Pair telepathically ** Talking takes work *** One couple got it right away and they LOATHE EACH OTHER ** This can suck big balls * if you lose your bond tragically it can be very traumatic ** Could be a serious problem if you were legally and emotionally tied to them ** Some people may do anything to get that feeling back. **This is true even if you kill your Partner ***You murdered your Pair because you didn't want to be legally subservient to them but then you MISS THEM AGAINST YOUR WILL ***Like a psychic vampire. You might "use up" your partner. **On the upside, society literally doesn't believe you can murder your Pair. So you don't get charged, you just suffer. You can't get charged, you're literally not a person who can be responsible. In the same way women used to not be charged with crimes because they were presumably doing it at the behest of their husband. * SCAM ARTISTS ABOUND ** Myths about how if you don't find your bond by x age it's not as strong ** there are ways to fake the bond if someone hasn't found theirs yet ** once you've had a successful bond you can sort of replicate it * Shades tend to get thrown into convents/schools/homes ** Madame Cross' School for Mismatched Youth *** if you hit 18 age without meeting your Tharii, off you go to school where you are taught coping methods and basically cared for until you finally meet a Tharii or become a teacher. *** If you're widowed and lose your Tharii then you can go to a home for Broken Pairings ** outside the Formal Empire there are presumably countries where the pairs don't happen and they must think it's incredibly weird *** Some sort of hippie commune where everyone is paired with the WHOLE WORLD *** "life is my bondmate" *** poly is most common but some people are more literal and celibate * Tharii pre-bonding can have a frat-like existence if not paired in their first wave ** This results in homoromantic (like with like) ballads specifically about Tharii ** And homoromantic Tharii relations are considered a good thing to have, provided they are not putting their Tharii "buddy" first once they get a Kizier ** Though they can put them first in some things, sort of Tharii bonding "poker nights" ** However, if you are a Tharii that leads another Tharii astray so that they neglect their duties to their Kizier... uh oh ** There exist no ballads for similar pre-bonded Kizier relationships, because they are not taken seriously as what Kizier would value a relationship with another over their destined Tharii? * Idealized Kizier characteristics are small hands and feet, slim waists, long hair. ** This is not found very often. And some of the actual "most desirable" Kizier can have none of these characteristics if they are powerful enough. ** Or if they are charismatic enough * Idealized Tharii characteristics focus on physical strength and tactical intelligence. ** This can result in more dexterity focused Tharii being considered the equivalent of "effeminate" * Very rarely, a Tharii can have an adverse sensitivity to magic ** Their pair can Make It Work with a lesser sensitivity to their type, but can still give them a headache ** For those rare cases, they often aren't believed to be sensitive, as Tharii Are Strong and that's just not real come on